a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fixing structure for an outer ring member in a one-way clutch which is used as a torque-transmitting or backstop component in a drive system of an automotive vehicle or the like.
b) Description of the Related Art
No detailed explanation is believed to be needed on a one-way clutch, because it is well known in the art. To facilitate understanding of the present invention, however, certain essential points of a one-way clutch will be described. As shown by cutting away a part of a side plate 60 in FIG. 7, a one-way clutch mechanism arranged between an outer ring member 10 and an inner ring member 20 comprises rollers 50, springs 70, spring anchors 80, a cam surface 90 formed on an inner peripheral wall of the outer ring member 10, etc. Designated at numeral 60 is a side plate mounted on a side wall of the outer ring member 10.
As long as the inner ring member 20 rotates in a direction indicated by arrow R.sub.1, no locking action is performed. As shown in FIG. 8, the outer ring member 10 is assembled in a housing 45 with each spline 15 fitted in a corresponding keyway 46 formed in the housing 45.
An angular clearance a is unavoidably left between the spline 15 and a wall of the corresponding keyway 46, so that even when the inner ring member 20 idles in the direction indicated by arrow R.sub.1 in FIG. 1, the outer ring member 10 is caused to rotate by drag torque to produce a sharp metallic hitting noise due to the existence of an angular play.
As shown in a side cross-section of FIG. 9, it was hence proposed to interpose, at an outer peripheral portion of the outer ring member 10, a spring 40 between the outer ring member 10 and a stop ring 30, to always press the outer ring member 10 against an axially-positioning stop ring 35 so that the dragged rotation of the outer ring member 10 upon idling is eliminated to prevent the occurrence of a sharp metallic hitting noise.
According to this conventional approach, however, the spring 40 is a separate part so that the spring 40 has to be assembled at the user's end prior to assembling the one-way clutch on the housing 45. This has resulted in the drawbacks that more assembling steps are needed and the assembly work is cumbersome and time-consuming.
A fixing structure in which a spring is not provided as a separate member but a spring member is integrally formed on an outer peripheral edge portion of a side plate as a component of a one-way clutch was proposed "in house" at the assignee company of the present application. A Japanese utility model application was then filed on the fixing structure. After the Convention priority date of the present application, that application was laid open, that is, published to the public for the first time under Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. HEI 5-14669.
FIG. 10 is a front view of the fixing structure proposed "in house" at the assignee company of the present application, and FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the fixing structure. FIG. 10 shows the same section as FIG. 7, with a part of the side plate 60 being cut away. A T-shaped spring portion 65 is integrally formed on an outer peripheral edge portion of the side plate 60. This spring portion 65 is interposed between the outer ring member 10 and the stop ring 30 like the spring 40 illustrated in FIG. 9.
In the fixing structure shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the side plate and the spring portion are integral when they are produced by the manufacturer so that the fixing structure of FIGS. 10 and 11 is free of the drawback of the fixing structure illustrated in FIG. 9. To always retain stable spring force, the entire side plate must be formed of a spring material because the spring portion and the side plate are integral. This is disadvantageous in manufacture and cost. Moreover, it is necessary to modify the shape, thickness and the like of the spring material when a change is desired in a spring characteristic. This leads to the drawback that substantial design changes are needed over the entirety of the side plate.